The Horror Tree accepted another one of my posts!
Check out “Cultivating Autumnal Magic for Writers” here: https://horrortree.com/cultivating-autumnal-magic-for-writers/.
And, if you want to feel even more witchy for the upcoming autumnal season, this article has some wonderfully spooky tips! https://horrortree.com/how-to-be-a-witch/
For this week we’re going “old school” with classic video/arcade games, lightsabers of choice, vinyl record-spinning (backwards, of course)…and orange creamsicles!
Better hurry up and read this interview with Ray Van Horn Jr., because I just heard the ice cream truck!
Willow Croft: If you were stuck with only one arcade game or video/computer game from the 1970s/80s, which would you pick, and why?
Ray Van Horn Jr.: In the ‘70s, video games were still fledgling experiments before the big boom in the 1980s. As a young ‘un, the rage was Pong, as in the electronic ping-pong game with head-to-head, block-shaped “paddles” and a square blip representing a ball. Same concept, get the blip past the other player for a point. Your family was considered an up-and-comer in the social strata if you had one then. My family wasn’t up-and-coming nor poor, and we had a Pong console, which we entertained people with at social gatherings in our home. Sounds crazy, but it’s true! We were much easier occupied than today’s generation. We also read books, spun vinyl records you had to take the time and energy to flip over and we went outdoors to play instead of an Xbox portal, just saying.
Pong was played with a console that hooked up to the t.v. and mind you, this was the age of floor cabinet tube televisions or medium-sized shelf or stand models. It was still an era of black and white picture televisions, as color models weren’t always a given in each household. I won’t bore you to tears over the rabbit ear picture control antennae mounted on top the t.v.s, but anyone who lived it won’t forget it. Younger generations would be astounded by the primitiveness of it all, though there’s been a newfound fascination of our archaic ways courtesy of Stranger Things.
While there was an early-on version of the Atari 2600 gaming console in 1977, it really blew up in 1982 once arcades became a huge thing. Arcades were a way of life and if they were worth a hoot, they were decked in neon piping and low-lit from above, so the machines could bask with the neon like Space Port and Space Station in my area. In other words, like Tron brought to life. Back then, you’d pay a quarter a play for an arcade machine, and adjusting for the times, we had miniscule (by comparison to today) allowances, i.e. a dollar or two. You found a game you could get really good at in order to make that quarter last, since most of the time, our parents dropped us off in an arcade while they shopped elsewhere. Otherwise, an arcade was tween and teen social hour.
Then you had to deal with the “quarters up” syndrome, which also applies to billiards play, as in someone claiming dibs on your machine. If you were really good, people would gather around you to cheer you on, but also to plant their quarter down on the edge of the video game screen to bid for rights to next play. That being said, the three arcade games I ruled at then and still shred today in retro arcades which we go to, are Ms. Pac Man, Galaga and Mat Mania.
Willow Croft: Imagine you were in a “galaxy far, far away” and were surrounded by a small force of the Empire’s minions, what would be your weapon of choice, if any?
Ray Van Horn Jr.: I’m old school, and nothing beats the original trilogy, yet Count Dooku’s lightsaber from the prequel set with its arched hilt where you can look gallant planting a forefinger before the saber projection…it’s just boss, man. For combat logistics, the configuration of that curved hilt sounds absurd, but Christopher Lee sold his regal saber hold as he did any project he appeared in. I have complete reverence for Lee as an icon of Hammer horror films, Saruman from Lord of the Rings and his other film works. The man even recorded a heavy metal album before he passed. Legend!
Now, any Star Wars geek like myself is going to cry foul at my choice, since Dooku was not only a Sith also known as Darth Tyranus, but he spearheaded the Trade Federation’s coup of Naboo, fostering Palpatine’s subversive hijack of the old Republic en route to the new Empire, of which you propose. My purposeful shenanigans here are predicated on the presumption I’d learned the Force and snagged Dooku’s saber for Imperial credits on the Old Republic dollar, using a Jedi mind trick against a drunken Rodian junk dealer hocking it on some backwater planet generations later.
Willow Croft: Let’s talk about food “less travelled”! It’s a three-parter, so take your pick, or answer all of them (sadly, no bonus prize, though)! What tasty treat to you remember from your own summer camp adventures as a kid? Alternatively, what’s your favourite trail snack(s), or what’s your go-to camping cuisine recipe?
Ray Van Horn Jr.: I never really went to summer camps, or a sleepaway camp (outside of those zany horror movies of the same name, ha!), but I went to plenty of swimming and nature day camps as a kid. What sticks out the most in my mind are the orange creamsicles we were gonzo about. Good Humor used to have an orange, gelatinous glob crammed inside a cardboard tube called a Push-Up, which many of us kids of the day of loved.
Favorite trail snacks, since we do a lot of hiking: bananas, kiwi or a nut mix filled with cashews, peanuts, dates, raisins, coconut shavings, M&Ms, almonds and such. When I do solo hikes, I likewise have these on-hand or a bag of Craisins. A turkey sandwich on wheat with stone ground mustard for the long haul hikes.
Willow Croft: A visitor from the future has loaned you their time travel machine and unlimited credit for a one-time shopping trip to the original Hunt Valley Mall you write about on your blog (https://roadslessertraveled.com/2022/03/21/why-i-miss-the-original-hunt-valley-mall/). What store do you head for first, and what would you buy?
Ray Van Horn Jr.: First, I would toss my benefactor a gnarly hang-loose sign with my thumb and forefinger shaking about by way of thanks. With a shout of “Mega rad!” I’d aim right for Camelot Music to scout for the newest heavy metal cassettes of whatever day I landed in. I’d save some of my cash for a drop into Big Sky, which had cool jeans at a reasonable price (even for a mall), then look for my friends at the food court for pizza, then, of course, a raid at the arcade. Assuming I hadn’t overspent, I would dip into Friendly’s for a mint chocolate chip ice cream sundae!
Willow Croft: Speaking of fictional time travel, how would you envision the world in about 50 or even 100 years?
Ray Van Horn Jr.: I’m very concerned about the ongoing rape and careless abuse of our planet. I think the garish dystopia of Blade Runner 2049 is alarmingly on the money of where we’re headed if we don’t pay attention to Mother Gaia’s rising ire and subversive plea to get our selfish, polluting heads jerked out of our bums. I believe our natural resources stand to dwindle with exponential population growth and lackadaisical care in restocking and cleaning after what we reap. Replanting is key if we want our atmosphere to provide for us. Some people tend to think sectors of heavily forested areas means we have nothing to worry about. This is blind arrogance. I foresee more synthetic agriculture and animal cloning as time progresses, species die out and humans are forced to subsist on whatever science can give them, instead of nature. A world with ashy, burnt skies awaits us, ushered by wars and human negligence. Gaia provides all which we need; we need to treat her with far more respect.
I think modern society has become far too dependent on technology and I try not to worry about my son and his generation, who can’t go a single day (much less 15 minutes) without a glowing gadget within reach. Then again, people of all ages are glued to a device more than they set their eyes free to behold the beauty of their live habitats. My fiancée always posits the solar flare theory, which could wipe out the collective motherboard worldwide, shutting electronics down and forcing us back to the primitive. If we’re one day out of fossil fuels, oil, herbs, potable water and what we need to engineer horticulture, we’re done for on this planet. Less time inside the virtual, people, seriously.
I hope we evolve as futuristic society, learning from past mistakes and embracing our differences. I doubt I will see it in my lifetime, but I dream of a purge of bigotry, racism, homophobia and religious persecution. Those folks who can’t get with the program can leave the Earth and cultivate Planet Hate, as far I’m concerned. A lack of empathy is what mankind today suffers the greatest from, and if that doesn’t change, expect a barbaric purge more in tune with the murder spree movies of the same name. I hate getting on my high horse in such a fashion, but people have to want change, embrace diversity and treat our planet and its thousands of species like the gift it is if we’re ever going to survive your timeline.
~~~~
I hope you enjoyed this interview with Ray Van Horn, Jr. but if you’d like to learn more about this author/journalist and his adventures with icons of heavy metal, punk, and more, visit him at his website: https://roadslessertraveled.com/ and check out his collection of short stories here: https://www.amazon.com/Coming-Rage-Ray-Van…/dp/B0B7QPFYJ1.
Tomorrow’s Labor/Labour Day, which for us in the U.S. and Canada, we take a day off work in honour of the labour rights movement and unions and such.
Although I’m usually a very industrious worker bee, lately I’ve just been feeling less than motivated to do, well, anything.
And my circumstances have changed, and I really need to hustle to find a source of income, so I can’t really afford to slack off.
But if there was ever an argument against not working, I’d say it’s my mock horoscopes for September, for sure!
https://horrortree.com/september-2022-horoscopes-where-are-all-our-work-automatons/
Who wants to join my utopian community? *passes out copies of William Morris’s News from Nowhere*
Here’s my tarot card reading for September, over at Horror Tree, if you need some more inspiration for the coming times. https://horrortree.com/september-2022-tarot-cards-forplanning-really/
This week’s guest for Eco Tuesday is the world-traveling Carol Taylor! Many of you may know her from her blog or from her food column over at Smorgasbord, but you may not know that both her slow cooker and her cooking pans have been around the globe with her. Read on to discover what makes Carol’s Kitchen “green”!
Biography
Carol is a foodie who is passionate about the environment and the right to buy food without chemicals and preservatives…wherever possible she cooks from scratch using food that is either home grown or purchased from sustainable sources…She states she will never be a vegan/vegetarian but increasingly eats less meat and more vegetable based dishes. Waste is something that she is also very aware of and uses every part of the food she cooks and eats…if it can be pickled and preserved then it will be plus also to reduce the amount of energy that is used in her kitchen she batch cooks not in such great quantities as she did when her family were all young but always cooks enough to freeze at least 2 portions this all saves energy and time…she is also a believer in letting children help in the kitchen and children who help to cook eat what they cook no fussy kids in her house…On her trip to the UK recently it was such a pleasure for Carol to see her children and grandchildren cooking and to be able to swap ideas and recipes…
Thank you, Willow for inviting me to answers some questions for your blog…
The Interview
Willow Croft: I see from your blog/your column on Smorgasbord Blog Magazine that you sometimes take the “Green Kitchen” on the road—collecting regional recipes and visiting local farmer’s/food markets. What’s your favourite market you’d like to return to, and/or what’s the most interesting recipe you’ve discovered?
Carol Taylor: I am blessed with having great fresh markets here where I live but my favourite markets are Borough Market in London where the stall holders interact with the shoppers and even make a quick dish with mushrooms for example…not only does it show you the customer the wide variety of mushrooms you can use but what tasty dishes you can make very quickly and of course for recompence the stall holder sells lots of mushrooms…Likewise the cheese. bread and other stalls all put on a demo for the customers…it is a great market visit with lots of history and great eating places.
Also it has to be the floating markets in Bangkok of which there are about 13 where you hop on a boat and the pilot of the boat can guide you close to the stall if you are interested in his wares plus there is the excitement of when the trains pass through one of the markets and as if by clockwork the stall holders raise their canopies in unison and remove their track side goods back a little…
Most interesting recipe…that’s a difficult one for me Willow as I cook all the time plus we like most fruits and vegetables but for me learning to shop my fridge which is not actually a recipe but having for so many years been recipe driven I have now learnt to look at the food I have and think about what I can make from that… this often means that instead of shopping and buying everything a recipe quotes I may only need to buy 1 or 2 items if that… this in turn means that I never throw food away and use what I have before I buy more…If I discover I can for example use strawberry stems and make a powder to add to ice cream or a muffin mix or pickle watermelon rinds that to me is interesting and using the whole fruit wasting nothing.
Willow Croft: As I need to ditch my own toxic Teflon frying pan, I loved the part of your post (I have pans that date back to the 70s I think, if not older) on Teflon-free alternatives: https://carolcooks2.com/2022/06/08/carol-taylors-green-kitchen-june/. So, in tribute to that post, what’s your most-used cookware in Carol Taylor’s Green Kitchen?
Carol Taylor: I stir fry most days and cook curries in my wok on other days; But because I cook every day my pans are in constant use… but numero one is my wok…Closely followed by my slow cooker which has travelled the world with me but now has finally been retired due to some small cracks so for safety she had to go but I will be replacing her…
However I do believe in buying the best pans you can as mine have been around the world with me and are still in constant use and as good as new.
Willow Croft: In addition to your tips on buying local, growing your own food, and recycling/composting, you’re a strong advocate for conservation, especially of the ocean and marine life forms. If you could transform yourself into any creature from the deep ocean depths, which would it be, and why?
Carol Taylor: Most little girls want to be a mermaid but now I’ve grown up I haven’t given a thought to what sea animal I would like to be…but as you have asked Willow…as I like people and am sociable as most bloggers are so I think a “Dolphin” because they follow boats and are very friendly but also as a dolphin I love to eat squid, fish, cuttlefish and crustaceans although I have to be careful that sharks or other predators don’t eat me however we keep the balance in the ocean and without us the natural balance and the health of the ocean would be negatively affected plus dolphins are very graceful and almost as pretty as a mermaid…
~~~~
Check out Carol’s other tips to reduce food waste and how to make your kitchen more green: https://carolcooks2.com/.
Carol also sent a video link about the floating markets in Thailand:
Since the world’s ending (or, at least, according to my latest creative inspiration tarot read), Iet’s really get away from it all during this last summer on Earth*. Prepare to be completely transformed as a result of your astrological journey!
https://horrortree.com/august-2022-horoscopes-the-dobhar-chu-days-of-summer-are-here/
*Like my tarot readings and mock horoscopes; fictionally speaking, of course.
Oh, and if those horoscopes whetted your monstrous appetite, check out this anthology called The Cryptid Chronicles, where I not only have a short story, so does Horror Tree’s very own Stuart Conover! And lots of other great stories/authors, of course!
https://www.amazon.com/Cryptid-Chronicles-DBND-Publishing/dp/B08VX16X7B/
For one of my short stories, I followed along with the adventures of an animal liberation group…with a twist.
(Here’s the link to the anthology that the short story was in: https://www.amazon.com/Neon-Druid-Anthology-Celtic-Fantasy/dp/1791884172/)
So, when I received a call-to-action email from PETA to send a letter to my representative(s) about supporting the FDA modernization act, I, of course, did send the form/letter.
As some of you may know, I’m in Kansas, a very conservative red state here in the United States. For example, it often appears that Representative Ron Estes and I could not be on farther ends of the spectrum in terms of key issues, based on their earlier responses to other letters I’ve sent.
But here was Representative Estes’s response–a response that, admittedly, surprised me:
*poses for the paparazzi*
Cheesy jokes aside, guess what?
I’ve been interviewed over at the Green Stars Project blog!
Oh, and I won one of the Ethical Consumer magazine subscription prizes that are available for doing Green Stars reviews!
I chose products for the reviews as a way to wean myself from as many single-use plastics as I can.
Check out the interview here: https://greenstarsproject.org/2022/08/09/ethical-consumer-contest-winner/.
Don’t be “green” with envy….come join me in the emerald spotlight! You can do your own reviews as part of the Green Stars Project…and be entered to win a subscription too!
I promise I won’t upstage you…much!
Let me know if you’re planning (or have done) your own reviews in the comments below (or, better yet, over at the Green Stars Project blog), and I’ll check them out!
For those of you who have gotten to know me in the virtual realm, you’re aware that some of my areas of interest revolve around nonhuman animals, fantastical creatures, ghosts, feminists (I’d add on strong women, but I think ALL women are strong!) . . . and eating (though not of any of the aforementioned subjects *laugh*). If not, you do now, anyway!
So, let’s enter the cobwebby halls of Emily-Jane Hills Orford’s Victorian mansion, and perhaps we’ll discover what’s lurking in shadowy corners and hidden alcoves.
Aside from us, that is!
Willow Croft: I see from your biography on your website that you were a music teacher, and you also had a book out at one point that featured your rescue dog named Duke who was a “howling” good accompaniment to his new musical family. So, among the music pieces and/or instruments that you play, which is Duke’s favourite(s), and why do you think he likes them so much?
Emily-Jane Hills Orford: Good question. I love your summary of Duke being a “howling good accompaniment to his new musical family.” For Duke, it would have to be a choice between piano and voice, the only two instruments (and yes, voice is considered an instrument; it’s actually the oldest musical instrument, not surprising) Duke has ever heard. Perhaps voice, as he likes to add his own voice to the mix. Piano? Not so much as he tends to exit the room whenever the piano is being played.
Willow Croft: I think I was hooked by the “haunted Victorian mansion” you grew up in (who wouldn’t be, right?) and I’d love to hear more. So, what was the most spooky and phenomenal paranormal occurrence that’s ever happened to you?
Emily-Jane Hills Orford: People really didn’t believe me. They still don’t. But she was real. The ghost was real. And I saw her. Often. It scared me. At first, anyway. But then she became such a unique part of my home, that I almost didn’t notice her shenanigans, like banging kitchen cupboard doors, turning on all the lights in the middle of the night and moving things around in my room. She also hovered over me. Especially when I was sick. As if she were taking care of me. The old Victorian mansion that we moved into in 1967 was haunted. Complete with bats that flew around our rooms at night. I hated that. I have to admit that I slept most nights with a blanket over my head. Small comfort. Gran said I had a vivid imagination. I’m not sure if she really believed in the ghost. At least she listened when I talked to her about my ghost sightings. My siblings teased me relentlessly. Being the youngest and easily scared, I was an easy target. But my vivid imagination, and my ghost, served me well.
The story begins in “Mrs. Murray’s Ghost,” Book 1 of the Piccadilly Street Series, with my memories of moving into this old Victorian mansion. I was ten, just like Mary in the story. And I was so overwhelmed with the fixtures, the wooden floors that creaked, the old 1920s telephones that connected to several rooms throughout the house, and, of course, the space. In my young eyes, the house seemed massive – like a castle. The first night in my new room was full of strange noises, creaking floorboards, banging cupboards in the kitchen, lights flickering on and off, and the shadows that lurked in every corner. I was terrified. But also fascinated. Until the bats appeared the next evening. My sister and I huddled together underneath a table or under the blankets of our beds, screaming as the bats swooped over our heads. Later, much later actually, Dad managed to seal the attic and the many chimneys that serviced the fireplaces that were found in most of the rooms. That slowed the influx of bats.
The next four books of the Piccadilly Street Series also combine actual memories, dreams and that vivid imagination that Gran always told me I had. Book 2, “Mrs. Murray’s Hidden Treasure”, explores the theory I shared with my siblings that, if the house was haunted, there must be a hidden treasure. We did find the odd old coin buried in the garden. Certainly not a fortune. Book 3, “Mrs. Murray’s Home”, challenges the ghost and the other characters to define what and where they believe their home is. This is something my Gran and I always discussed. For me, home was always that grand old house. For Gran, having left Scotland as a child, part of her thoughts of home remained in her childhood memories and a place across the ocean. Book 4, “Mr. Murray’s Gun”, takes the adventure even further with the discovery of a vintage World War I gun and ammunition in the attic. I remember when we found that gun. Mom was terrified that we would accidently set it off. Dad called the local police and had it taken away. My vivid imagination even as a child had the gun marked as a murder weapon. Still to come, Book 5, “Mrs. Murray Goes to High School,” explores my grandmother’s long held desire, and that of many women of the early twentieth century (including Mrs. Murray), to have further education. So many women from their era were not allowed to go to High School, let alone college or university, because their fathers believed it was a waste of time and money to educate women.
The house was such a big part of my life. As was the ghost. It was only a matter of time before the ghost became the subject of a big writing project.
Willow Croft: You published a fantasy book earlier in the year titled Beauty in the Beast. If you could magically transform yourself into a mythical creature, which would you choose?
Emily-Jane Hills Orford: I think Priya’s multiple mutations are fascinating. She’s my main character. I admire her courage and tenacity and her love of music. Surprisingly, though, I’m not sure how well I’d be as one of her mutations. With her owl gene, Priya can fly; with her dolphin gene, she swims like a fish (well, more accurately like a dolphin). I’m terrified of both flying and swimming, but perhaps her genetic mutations would give me the courage to overcome these fears.
Willow Croft: I always have a food question in these mini-interviews, so I was thrilled to see that you had published not one, but two, cookbooks. Which recipes remain your go-to choices for a fine feast?
Emily-Jane Hills Orford: Chicken and chocolate – all good dishes must have one of those two ingredients. I have a lemon chicken recipe that I make frequently, baking in the oven in the winter months and on the barbecue in the summer. For chocolate, well, chocolate chip cookies are a staple in my diet. All my recipes are made with soy-free, dairy-free ingredients to accommodate my two main allergies: soy and dairy.
Willow Croft: I’d be remiss without including a question about your books that capture the lives of, in your words, “Extra-Ordinary” women. I learned from the book’s description on Goodreads that F-Stop: A Life in Pictures is about your photographer mother, but among the cast of characters in Amazingly Extra-Ordinary Women, which would you most like to meet as you travel through space and time?
Emily-Jane Hills Orford: Some I’ve already met, like my mother, of course, whose story is “An Adequate Teacher,” my mother-in-law, whose story is “Christmas Joy on a Cart,” and Frances Hopkins, whose story is “Prisoner of War.” I also feel like I’ve met the others through my research, but to actually meet in person, I’d have to say, Rachel Carson, “Do Not Kill the Birds!” She really spearheaded the campaign against pesticide use and saving the planet. Her words have been quoted often by environmentalists since she first wrote them in the 1950s and 1960s. I think tea and a serious conversation with Miss Carson, while enjoying watching the birds, would be a great way to spend an afternoon.
~~~
I’d want to gatecrash that tea party, wouldn’t you? Since we can’t do that, feel free to “gatecrash” Emily-Jane Hills Orford’s website, and start up a conversation of your own (after you check out her books, of course!).
Author Website: http://emilyjanebooks.ca
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.ca/Emily-Jane-Hills-Orford/e/B002LUV0NS/
Where to purchase Beauty in the Beast:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1952020204/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beauty-in-the-beast-emily-jane-hills-orford/1141065152
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realpeoplestories
Twitter: @ejhomusic
Five Things Friday has returned! I interview poet John D no period Robinson about herbs and hoarding memories and housing and hope (in the time of crisis)–and we wrap up with the “Cs”–namely, classical music and cats!
Willow Croft: With a nod to a certain kind of herb that has cameos in your poetry, what would be your favourite culinary herb(s) you’d have in your kitchen, and why?
John D Robinson: Cooking is something that I enjoy: I refer here to British garden herbs: Rosemary: Sage: Coriander: Mint: are the herbs that are always around and are used daily from adding a surprise in sandwiches and in almost every dish I cook there will be at least one or two of the above herbs within from sprinkling over the cooked food to adding them to home-made sauces – particularly mint: herbs and spices were a global trade and I guess still may be, but these days, given the technology, we can grow just about anything we choose:
Willow Croft: In your interview on Horror Sleaze Trash (https://horrorsleazetrash.com/2018/10/01/an-interview-with-john-d-robinson/), your muse can have many forms, including a “distant memory”. Do you hold onto physical mementos that personify memories, or do you travel light in terms of personal possessions?
John D Robinson: I am a hoarder of such physical memento’s and each item will have it’s own time and place and when looking or handling them, I can recall those moments/times when the item first came into my possession: some of them bring a sadness to surface: from everyday ornaments/to books/pictures/paintings/letters/jewelry/collectible models/ – I can see/feel the muse all around – she is ever present – and I thank her – I love her and now again, she gifts me with a flow of words or paint that smoothly move with an energy of their own:
Willow Croft: Do you believe that cats have the ability to exist in multiple dimensions at once? Alternatively/in addition, what sort of magical powers do you want to believe cats have?
John D Robinson: Cats have been a part of my life for the past 54 years: one time I had 4 cats and the house could be quite frenzied and chaotic: I am obsessed with Cats – domestic and wild – there is a majesty about them – a mystery surrounding them, an energy and attitude that is unique and individual to that cat: I will very often stop and greet cats as I walk the streets: I don’t think, we, humans, ‘own’ the cat, it will do it’s own shit when it wants to but they are faithful and affectionate (mostly) –
As to whether Cats exist in multiple dimensions – I don’t know – but I’m guessing that if they do then every form of life on this planet would do so also – ‘Mitakuye Oyasin’ ‘we are all related –
Willow Croft: In light of this climate change emergency, how would you envision our definition of housing/a home? What sort of adaptations does humanity need to make, especially when more and more people are priced out of having a livespace?
John D Robinson: This dismal horrific situation has been building pace for some years, here in the UK, back in the 1980’s when large swathes of ‘council properties’ were sold and were never replaced – the periods of economic boom and bust that followed – the hardship that young people are faced with today should never have been allowed to be, particularly in matters of housing, whether renting or buying – the latter almost damn near impossible now and when turned away from local High street banks and mortgage lenders there is the temptation to turn to small independent ‘firms’ whose interest rates on repayment can be astronomical – there is also the issue of where to build without destroying the surrounding area’s – the climate change is beginning to show itself and we’ve earnt it, polluting the skies and seas and oceans for a hundreds year’s and more – I don’t know what can be done now – fuel usage could stop today – again, the technology is there, available, but best keep the rich getting richer, sucking the life from the world’s blood, waters and forests: – I think water will become the next ‘gold’ – for my children’s children I can only hope that some very effective actions happen – it is important to keep hope alive at the very least – the rising costs of basic foods is shameful and criminal – heat or eat – decisions that families may make come winter – for the UK, one of the ‘richest’ countries in the world, that doesn’t sound to good – but in comparison to some countries the UK is a jewel, a beacon of hope and freedom and opportunities. We all know that there is enough food in the world to feed everyone:
Willow Croft: This may be akin to trying to pick a favourite flavour of ice cream (unless you don’t have a sweet tooth), but what’s your favourite piece of classical music?
John D Robinson: This is a very tough one for me: Frederic Chopin: 1810 – 1849: Prelude, OP. 28. No 15: (also referred to as ‘Snowdrop’) –
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: 1756 – 1791: Clarinet Concerto:
Arvo Part: 1935 – Spiegel im Spiegel
I could have carried on for a few more pages:
Thank you:
~~~
That’s a wrap for this week’s Five Things Friday interview! I don’t have links available, but you can check out some of their poetry on Horror Sleaze Trash (search John D Robinson) as well as many other great poets!
(I haven’t been reading much poetry as of late, except for what appears on others’ blogs, but some of the poems here really reminded me why I read poetry–so I don’t feel so alone, so I don’t feel so lost, so the sounds of the “madding crowd” quiet themselves–almost like a meditation.)
*giveaway now closed*
It’s National Fortune Cookie Day! To celebrate, I’m offering a free tarot card reading to the first three commenters!
Good luck, and good fortune, today!
(In case it wasn’t clear, please leave a comment below for a chance to claim the free tarot reading.)
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The written word will never be the same...
Bringing together all things Bigfoot/Alien/Paranormal related.
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Selling books from our published authors
La poesía es la libertad del alma.
Inspiration | Musings | Philosophy | Politics
Loves, lamentation, and life through prose, stories, passions, and essays.
Read. Play. Watch. Listen .
Writer, Author & Maker of Mischief
Willow Croft 